Minutes To Midnight: Baseball Sweeps Eckerd

Calvin Rayburn struck out eight and tossed his third complete game this season. Photo by Joel Auerbach

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Barry University’s baseball team swept a pair of games against Eckerd College Sunday night, winning a 13 inning marathon 12-9 before taking the nightcap 5-1.

GAME ONE

The Bucs trailed after the first inning but answered with a pair of runs in the third to tie the game at two. Both teams went back and forth with the Bucs scoring runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings but eventually trailed by two heading in to the ninth.

In the ninth inning, the Buccaneers took advantage of the Tritons bullpen scoring three runs on four walks, a hit-by-pitch and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Michael Slabach to take a one run lead.

The Tritons answered with a run in the bottom of the frame to tie the game at eight, sending it into extra innings.

Neither team scored in the tenth nor eleventh frame but both squads pushed a run across in the twelfth to stay knotted at nine.

In the 13th Slabach doubled to left-center to spark a Bucs’ rally. JC Cardenas followed with a bunt single and Michael Diaz delivered a sacrifice fly to plate Slabach, breaking the 9-9 tie.

The Buccaneers added two more runs for insurance and Joe Iorio tossed a scoreless inning struck out a pair of batters to close out the game.

Tyler Petsch (2-3) allowed just one run in three innings of work and struck out four to earn the win.

Adrian Benitez allowed just one run in relief and finished with 6 K’s in four innings in relief while Bucs’ starter Tyler Kinley also struck out five batters in as many innings.

Sheehan Planas-Arteaga led the Buccaneer offense with a 4-for-8 performance in game one of the series.

Game Two

Right-hander Calvin Rayburn took the hill for the Bucs in the nightcap and delivered one of his strongest performances of the season.

Rayburn went the distance and finished with eight K’s, scattering five hits and allowing just one run.

Planas-Arteaga got things started with a solo-shot to deep right to start the game and Iorio belted his second homer in as many games to propel the Buccaneer offense.

Adrian English delivered a 3-for-4 one RBI game while also scoring a run. In the two games English finished with five hits combined.

The Bucs and Tritons wrap up their three game series with a single game on Monday beginning at 6 p.m. Live-stats and video broadcast will be available through the Barry University athletics website, GOBARRYBUCS.COM.